Settlement With Feds Fails To Halt Abuse At Institutions
Despite an agreement more than two years ago with the U.S. Department of Justice to implement broad changes, an investigation has found that instances of abuse continue to occur regularly at Texas institutions.
A review by The Texas Tribune found an increase in abuse allegations at the state’s 13 institutions for people with developmental disabilities since a settlement was reached with federal officials two-and-a-half years ago. Allegations rose from 1.76 per resident in 2009 to 2.21 this year.
The agreement with federal officials came on the heels of a Justice Department investigation which found rampant abuse, civil rights concerns and deaths that may have been preventable.
The high rate of abuse allegations persists even as the news organization’s investigation found some progress has been made. Notably, the institutions have less staff turnover and new hires are subject to more intense scrutiny than just a few years ago. What’s more, thousands of security cameras and an independent monitor have been put in place at each facility.
Nonetheless, the state has yet to meet even one-fourth of the terms of its five-year agreement with the Justice Department, reports The Texas Tribune. To read more click here.
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